On December 5, 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Turkey for the first time in thirty years. As a result, the leaders of the two countries adopted the Joint Declaration on Deepening Friendship and Multifaceted Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey.
During the subsequent visit, agreements on the development of a number of priority areas of cooperation, including the energy sector, were reached. It was decided to establish a new mechanism for Russian-Turkish interstate consultations at the highest level, namely the High-Level Cooperation Council.
Recep Erdogan visited Russia on February 7, 2014 (as Prime Minister of Turkey) and on March 9, 2017 (as President of the Republic of Turkey).
Economic and technical cooperation began in the 1930s, when, with the participation of Soviet specialists, two large textile mills were built in Kayseri and Nazilli with the provision of preferential loans for these purposes. Later, in the 1970-80s, 12 more industrial facilities were built in Turkey with the assistance of the USSR.
Russian-Turkish relations are based on a broad legal framework. There are more than 60 fundamental documents between the countries regulating cooperation in various areas of bilateral relations. The most important of them are the Treaty of Friendship and Brotherhood of March 16, 1921, the Treaty on the Principles of Mutual Relations of May 25, 1992, the Joint Declaration on Progress towards a New Stage in Relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey and Further Deepening of Friendship and Multidimensional Partnership of February 13, 2009.
The Russian-Turkish Business Council has been established and is working, with the participation of 36 regions of Russia and more than 100 Turkish companies and firms, as well as the Joint Intergovernmental Russian-Turkish Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Military-technical cooperation has been carried out since 1992. Turkey became the first NATO member country with which Russia established ties in this area. The basis for bilateral military-technical cooperation was laid by the meetings of Russian President Boris Yeltsin with the head of the Turkish government Suleiman Demirel in Moscow (May 1992) and Istanbul (June 1992).
In April 1994, an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation on military-technical issues and in the field of defense industry was signed. In May 2001, the Mixed Russian-Turkish Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation was established.
Despite the recent crises in bilateral relations, the Republic of Turkey continues to be an important partner of the Russian Federation.
Rosoboronexport is a regular exhibitor at the International Exhibition of Arms and Military Equipment (IDEF) held in Istanbul every 2 years (since 1993).
Rostec State Corporation has a representative office in Turkey that ensures Rosoboronexport's interests.
